Chapter 9
A/N: For all those who wanted more from Chloe's POV, this chapter's for you!
Beca opened the oven and pulled out the lasagna, closing the door with her foot as she set the pan on top of the stove to cool. Glancing at the clock, she let out a long sigh. It was 6:32PM, and there was no sign of Chloe. One some level, Beca had a feeling her teacher would bail, but it still hit her like a punch to the gut.
"She could have at least texted me," Beca mumbled to herself, pulling off the oven mitts and tossing them onto the counter. Grabbing a piece of garlic bread, she headed back to check her phone again for any missed calls. Deciding to give Chloe a piece of her mind, she called the number and put it on speakerphone, leaving the phone on the counter.
"Hello?" Chloe's voice sounded distracted.
"Forget something?" Beca asked, her irritation obvious in her tone.
"Beca?"
"No, it's the Easter Bunny," Beca retorted. "You know, I kinda figured you'd wimp out. It's cool, but a text would have been nice."
She heard Chloe sigh on the other end of the phone before responding. "Look, Beca," Chloe started, but Beca cut her off immediately.
"Don't bother. I get it. Just stay away from me," she said sharply, angry at her inability to keep the hurt out of her voice.
Beca heard Chloe say her name again, but ended the call before her teacher could say anything else. She was glad the phone was on the counter, because it would probably be smashed against the wall if it had been in her hand. Beca wasn't sure why she had even called the redhead. She had obviously been stood up, and calling her had only made her even more upset at the situation.
She didn't know how to handle the feelings Chloe stirred up inside her. The redhead was sexy, intriguing, frustrating, and confusing all wrapped up in one. Beca let out a short shout of frustration, slamming her palms down on the countertop. No one had ever created such a range of emotions inside her, and she was bouncing back and forth between the strong attraction and intense regret at ever meeting the redhead.
On one hand, the moments alone with Chloe left her breathless, heart racing at the desire flowing through her. On the other, it was infuriating that the redhead refused to even talk to her. Beca popped the last bite of garlic bread into her mouth, and finished cleaning up the kitchen and wiping off the countertops. Having lost her appetite, she covered the lasagna with foil and put the rest of the garlic bread into a Ziploc bag. She was halfway up the stairs when the doorbell rang, causing her to freeze mid-step.
Beca turned around and headed to the front door, pulling it open without bothering to check through the peephole. "Holy shit!" she yelled, slamming the door shut and flipping the lock. The person on her front porch was dressed in black boots, jeans, a black zip-up sweatshirt with the hood pulled over a black baseball cap, and dark sunglasses. Beca took a deep breath, wondering what kind of robber rang the doorbell. 'A stupid one' she thought, her brain supplying the answer.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, followed by a familiar voice calling out, "Beca, open the door." Shit. She wasn't positive, but that sounded like…
"Beale?' Beca asked, unlocking the door and cracking it open. Seeing the person nod, she swung the door open and looked over the outfit again. "What the hell are you wearing?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "Did you come over to talk or rob the place?"
Chloe pushed past her into the house, throwing the hood back, taking off her hat and sunglasses. Beca closed the door behind her, watching with an amused expression as the redhead replied, "Don't be silly, I didn't want anyone to see me here."
Beca rolled her eyes and lead Chloe into the kitchen as she responded, "Who would see you?" She was doing her best not to laugh at her teacher's ridiculous antics, but couldn't help the smirk that escaped. Before Chloe could respond, she waved the question away with a hand and continued, "Why are you here, anyways?"
"I'm here for dinner," Chloe answered, leaning back against one of the counters.
Beca let out a short laugh, shaking her head no. "No you're not. Dinner was an hour ago. Tell me, why is it that you only want to talk to me when I tell you to stay away?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Beca, that's not true. It's a lot more complicated than that," Chloe stated, meeting the brunette's stare.
"Not to me. If you're only here to apologize and give me more weak excuses, you can just leave. I meant it, just leave me alone," Beca sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
Chloe studied her for a moment, before replying, "I'm here to talk."
Beca met her gaze, before shrugging and gesturing towards the table. She pulled a chair out and dropped into it, watching Chloe do the same. "Okay, Beale, what are you here to talk about?" she asked.
"I'd like to know who that song was for," Chloe said boldly, leaning back in her chair.
Immediately, Beca's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward towards her teacher. "That's none of your business. All you need to know is that it's the first song I ever wrote and no one was ever supposed to hear it," she snapped, looking down at her hands, already wishing that the redhead would leave.
Chloe backtracked, a little surprised at the emotion in the brunette's voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" She trailed off leaving the thought unfinished.
"No, you didn't, did you?" Beca said sharply looking up, her eyes softening at the look on Chloe's face. She sighed and slumped back into her chair, her voice quiet as she continued, "My mom passed away when I was eight. Cancer." She looked back down at her hands, locking and unlocking her fingers.
"Beca, I'm so sorry," Chloe said, her voice sincere.
Beca shrugged, looking back up at the redhead, giving her a small smile. "I don't know why I told you that," she admitted, shaking her head in disbelief. Chloe scooted her chair forward so that their knees were almost touching, reaching out to take one of Beca's hands. The brunette glanced down at their hands, her voice quiet. "What do you want, Chloe?"
(Chloe's POV, beginning from the end of detention)
Chloe regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth as she watched Beca walk out of detention. The thoughts started flying through her mind so fast she couldn't give any of them serious attention, instead flipping from one to the next with increasing speed. 'Did she really just agree to have dinner with Beca at her house? Not only that, but did she agree to have dinner with Beca alone, like a date? Can Beca actually cook? This is a terrible idea, she's your student. Your hot, musically talented student who can play the guitar. Really well.'
Chloe's mind drifted to the way Beca's fingers had strummed the slow, haunting melody in the choir room. She had been hypnotized by the performance, not only did Beca have an amazing voice, but Chloe had been stunned by the way her fingers had moved effortlessly over the strings, without needing to see them. It had Chloe picturing those fingers on her body, wanting to feel Beca's touch again.
She couldn't stop herself from kissing the brunette, especially when Beca tried to shut her out. In that moment, Chloe was certain she would have done anything to try and heal the pain in Beca's voice. So, consumed by the moment, she gave in to temptation and kissed her again. Chloe brought her fingertips up to touch her lips as she remembered that kiss, and the desire that came with it. Everything else became blurry, as her whole world became Beca's lips on hers, then her ear, then her neck. Her body had taken over, craving more of Beca's touch, and she was powerless to do anything except give in. She shuddered as her mind started to wonder where they would have ended up if the bell hadn't rung.
"Cut it out, Beale," she muttered, rubbing a hand over the back of her neck. Beca was her student, and therefore off-limits. She had already crossed the line far enough, and couldn't risk anything else happening. She repeated that thought through her mind several more times, before firmly telling herself there was no way she was going to dinner.
Chloe arrived home, exhausted from her first week of school. After a quick shower, she tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave and poured herself a glass of wine. Settling into her couch, she turned on her television and opened up Netflix. "Okay Shonda," she said, taking a sip of wine. "Wonder what Olivia Pope is up to tonight."
A few minutes into the show, her phone started ringing beside her. Not taking her eyes off the screen, Chloe answered it quickly. "Hello?"
"Forget something?" The voice on the other end was definitely pissed off. Shit. Beca.
"Beca?" Chloe asked cautiously.
"No, it's the Easter Bunny." Beca's voice cut through her like a knife. She was definitely upset, but Chloe was shocked at how much her next words burned. "You know, I kinda figured you'd wimp out. It's cool, but a text would have been nice."
Ouch. Double ouch. Chloe felt the guilt all the way down in her toes. Shit! Beca was right. She should have at least told the brunette she wasn't coming. "Look, Beca," Chloe started to say, but Beca cut her off before she could finish her apology.
"Don't bother. I get it. Just stay away from me."
This time, Chloe could hear something besides anger in Beca's tone. It was the same hurt that had pierced her voice earlier, in the choir room. Chloe quickly said Beca's name again, but was met with the click that signaled the brunette had hung up. She stared at her phone for a few seconds, her heart racing faster and faster until she jumped off the couch and ran into her bedroom. Her body was taking over again, overruling her better judgment. The only thing on her mind was how her chest had tightened and her stomach had dropped when Beca told her to stay away.
Chloe took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down a little. Could she really go to Beca's house? What if someone saw her there? There would be questions she couldn't, and shouldn't answer. An idea popped into her head, and she dug around deep in her closet until she found what she was looking for. Quickly getting dressed, she grabbed her phone and her keys, and ran out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, Chloe pulled up to Beca's house, her jaw dropping at the size of it. She parked a little ways down the street, walked quickly up to the front porch, and rang the doorbell. She didn't have to wait long, as a few seconds later, the door opened.
"Holy Shit!" Beca yelled, and slammed the door in her face, the deadbolt quickly snapping into place. Not quite the reaction Chloe was expecting. She waited about a minute before realizing that Beca was certainly not about to open the door again. She knocked and called out to the brunette, "Beca, open the door."
The deadbolt turned and the door cracked open, Beca peeking out and hesitantly asking, "Beale?"
Chloe nodded, and the door swung open again as Beca's eyes roamed over her body before lingering on her face. "What the hell are you wearing?" she asked, as Chloe quickly stepped inside and removed her hat and sunglasses. "Did you come here to talk or rob the place?"
Beca lead her into the kitchen as she replied, "Don't be silly, I didn't want anyone to see me here." She shot Beca a glare when the brunette rolled her eyes and asked who would see her. Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but Beca waved the question away and replaced it with another. "Why are you here, anyways?"
Chloe hesitated a fraction of a second before responding, "I'm here for dinner." She silently prayed Beca would forget that she had fully intended to not show up. At the brunette's short laugh and shake of the head, she knew she wasn't going to be so lucky.
"No you're not. Dinner was an hour ago. Tell me, why is it that you only want to talk to me when I tell you to stay away?" Beca asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Chloe felt the stab of Beca's words through her chest, ignoring her initial reaction to apologize profusely. Instead, she responded, "Beca, that's not true. It's a lot more complicated than that." She looked up into the dark blue eyes, seeing the girl's face fall.
"Not to me. If you're only here to apologize and give me more weak excuses, you can just leave. I meant it, just leave me alone," Beca stated, her voice losing some of its luster.
Chloe decided it was time to ignore her brain, and follow her heart. She was already in way over her head, her plan of staying away from the brunette completely shot to hell. "I'm here to talk," she said gently. She held her breath until Beca shrugged, and gestured for her to take a seat at the kitchen table. Chloe pulled a chair out and sat down.
"Okay, Beale, what are you here to talk about?" Beca asked.
Chloe's curiosity got the better of her. Out of all the things she wanted to ask Beca, the song she had walked in on the brunette playing was at the top of the list. It was hauntingly beautiful, the melody hypnotizing as the lyrics put her on the verge of tears. "I'd like to know who that song was for," she said, a little more forcefully than she intended.
She was completely unprepared for Beca's reaction. The brunette leaned forward in her chair, bristling, her eyes narrowing instantly. "That's none of your business. All you need to know is that it's the first song I ever wrote and no one was ever supposed to hear it," she snapped, before frowning down at her hands as though she didn't want to look at Chloe anymore.
Shit. Chloe's brain told her to apologize immediately, and this time she listened. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" She trailed off, not knowing how to finish the apology.
Beca barely noticed as she replied sharply, "No, you didn't, did you?"
Chloe flinched at Beca's tone as her eyes flashed up to look at her. She must have deemed Chloe appropriately apologetic, as her face softened instantly. Chloe let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Before she could say anything more, Beca began speaking again, this time her voice so soft Chloe could barely hear her. "My mom passed away when I was eight. Cancer."
Chloe's jaw dropped, and she quickly closed her mouth, glad that Beca wasn't looking at her, instead her gaze fixed back on her hands. Chloe noticed she was locking and unlocking her fingers. "Beca, I'm so sorry," she heard herself say, her heart breaking as she imagined an eight-year old Beca losing her mother.
Beca looked back up at her and shrugged, a sad smile on her face. "I don't know why I told you that," she admitted, with a disbelieving shake of her head.
Chloe felt her chest tighten again, as the urge to comfort Beca rushed through her body. She couldn't resist inching her chair forward until their knees were almost touching, and reached out to hold one of Beca's hands. She wasn't sure what it was about Beca that captivated her so, but Chloe was certain that the brunette was someone special, someone worth taking risks for.
Chloe was unprepared for Beca's next words, as she gently squeezed her hand. She watched as Beca glanced down at their hands, before quietly asking, "What do you want, Chloe?"
She felt her heart stop. Beca had never used her first name before, and the sound of it coming out of the brunette's lips stole the breath from her chest. Chloe knew exactly what she wanted, and that was to hear Beca say her name again. She wanted to pull the girl into her arms and hold her until she wasn't hurting anymore. She wanted to know Beca on a deeper level, to find out what was underneath her sarcasm and quick wit. She wanted to kiss her again, to see where that attraction would take them when there was nothing to interrupt the moment. Chloe wanted to forget that she was Beca's teacher, and for at least right now, just be present in this moment where Beca was being completely vulnerable with her.
Chloe took Beca's hands with both of her own. "I don't know what to do," she whispered, looking down at their hands. "I'm your teacher. I shouldn't feel this way about you," she continued, still unable to look into Beca's eyes.
Beca's grip on her hands tightened as she asked, "How do you feel about me?" Beca pulled one hand away, and Chloe felt fingertips tilting her chin up until she was looking into deep blue eyes.
Chloe knew she could lose herself in Beca's eyes. They were stunning, a deep blue that always seemed to darken whenever she was looking at Chloe. "I want you," Chloe admitted, loving the way Beca's eyes darkened just as she imagined they would. "I want to be around you, to spend time with you, to get to know you…" she trailed off as Beca's fingertips slid gently along her jaw and over her neck.
Beca leaned closer whispering, "to kiss me?"
Chloe was quickly losing her ability to form a coherent thought, as Beca's fingers found their way to the back of her neck, tangling in her hair. She realized Beca had inched forward on her chair so that one of her legs was in between her own, and the brunette's other hand was trailing patterns on her thigh. Beca leaned closer, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to kiss me, Chloe?"
Chloe felt her breath catch; caught in the spell that was Beca Mitchell. The brunette's sexy swagger was back in full force, and Chloe didn't trust herself to move for fear of completely losing control all over again. Beca pressed a kiss to the curve of her ear, slowly rising out of the chair to straddle Chloe's hips. Chloe reacted immediately, running her hands up Beca's thighs to her hips and easing her fingertips under her shirt. Beca was softly skimming her lips over Chloe's jaw, finally reaching her destination as she pressed a kiss to the corner of Chloe's mouth.
Chloe sighed at the first touch of Beca's lips to hers, both of them keeping the kiss gentle. Kissing Beca was quickly becoming one of her absolute favorite things. The brunette always seemed to have the upper hand, seemingly able to read Chloe's mind and anticipate what she wanted. Before Chloe could deepen the kiss, Beca pulled back a fraction, then kissed her again. They found a rhythm, exchanging soft, slow kisses, occasionally allowing their tongues to tease and twist before pulling back and starting again. Chloe slid her arms around Beca, trailing her fingertips over her back. Chloe loved how Beca responded to her touch, pressing her body firmly against Chloe's, her hips starting to grind down on her lap.
The urge to feel Beca's skin under her fingertips was becoming unbearable. Chloe ran her hands down Beca's back and slipped them under her shirt, causing her to moan softly. All rational thoughts vanished as Chloe's body flooded with desire. She ran her fingernails down Beca's back, before teasing one finger under the strap of her bra. Beca pulled back from Chloe's lips as her back arched, taking a deep breath. Chloe reconnected their lips, her hands following along the bottom of the brunette's bra around to lightly scratch down her stomach. She gasped as Beca's hips ground harder down against her own, and moved her lips to Beca's neck.
"Fuck, Chloe," Beca panted, as she scraped her teeth over the brunette's pulse point. Chloe leaned back into the chair, sliding her hands up from Beca's hips, over her ribs, bringing her shirt with them. Beca leaned back and raised her arms, as Chloe pulled it off over her head, tossing it to the floor. Chloe's hands returned to Beca's hips, her fingertips teasing the skin above her jeans as she leaned in to press a kiss to the hollow of her neck.
"God, you're gorgeous," Chloe whispered against her skin, skimming kisses along Beca's collarbone. She heard Beca moan and felt her hands slide into her hair, trying to guide her lips lower. Instead, Chloe moved her hands back up over Beca's stomach, her fingertips swirling until they brushed against her bra. The brunette arched her back again, and Chloe loved how desperate she seemed for her touch. She eased her fingertips under Beca's bra, teasing her curves, but not giving Beca what she wanted.
"Chloe," Beca gasped. "Fucking touch me."
Chloe didn't know if it was Beca's words or her tone, but she was certain those four words ignited a fire inside her and she was physically burning. She reacted instantly, sliding her hands under Beca's bra to cup her breasts, reveling in the drawn out moan that filled the room. While it wasn't exactly comfortable, the way Beca arched into her touch more than made up for it. Deciding she wanted more room to work, Chloe quickly reached one hand around and unhooked the clasp. Before she could do anything more, Beca leaned back, tugged the straps down her arms, tossed her bra to the floor, and pressed her lips back against Chloe's. Chloe felt Beca's tongue pressing against her lips, her own parting instantly in response. Her hands were back on Beca's chest, already planning a thorough examination.
Before she could make another move, the phone rang, causing them both to freeze in place. Chloe looked nervously up at Beca, who shrugged and said, "Ignore it. That's what the answering machine is for."
Chloe hesitated, returning Beca's kiss, but pulling back instead of allowing the brunette to deepen it. They both waited while the answering machine played Ben's recording to see if the person would leave a message.
After the beep, they heard a familiar voice say, "Hey Becs, we felt bad about leaving you all alone for the weekend, so we decided to come home. We wanted to surprise you, so we're right outside the front door…."
Chloe looked at the terrified expression on Beca's face, certain that her own wasn't any better. She was about to get caught making out with one of her students, by said student's parents, no less. She was going to get fired and never get another teaching job again. Her career was…
"Just kidding! We got to San Francisco without any trouble, and even found that seafood place we love so much. You did promise to check in tonight, so we'll be expecting a call before 10PM. Love you!" The machine cut off as Ben hung up the phone.
Chloe looked at Beca, who had her arms crossed over her chest and seriously looked like she was about to pass out. She didn't pass out, but instead toppled off of Chloe's lap to the floor and quickly pulled her shirt back on. "I think I just died," she said, eyes closed laying flat on her back.
Chloe still didn't trust herself to speak, but silently agreed with the brunette. They had been incredibly reckless, despite the fact that Beca was home alone for the weekend.
Beca had finally noticed Chloe's reaction, sitting up on the floor to give her a smile.
"Hey, Beale, it's okay. They aren't here," Beca said, standing up and trying to ease her mind.
Chloe shook her head. "No, it's not okay," she answered. "If they had caught us, I would have gotten fired. I'm your teacher, Beca. Do you understand how serious this would be for me?!" Chloe was slightly hysterical by the end of her questions, and Beca was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Whoa, slow down. They don't know that you're my teacher. And I mean, it wouldn't be the first time they caught me fooling…" Beca cut herself off mid-sentence, as Chloe's eyes shot daggers at her. "Never mind," she said lamely.
Chloe glared at her, her voice sharp. "Yeah, I'd rethink that line of logic if I were you, Mitchell." She saw Beca's eyes darken and the smirk return to her face.
"I like it when you call me Mitchell," she said, her voice low and her eyes roaming over Chloe's body. "A lot," she added, biting down on her lower lip and taking a step closer. Chloe quickly stood up and circled around the kitchen away from Beca, the brunette's smirk instantly transforming into a look of disbelief mixed with frustration.
"Is this how it's gonna be? A one step forward, five steps back kind of deal?" Beca asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
Chloe was torn. She knew the responsible thing to do would be to get the hell out of that house. Immediately. However, she also knew that being responsible was irrelevant at this point, considering ten minutes ago, Beca had been topless on her lap. Beca didn't wait for her mind to work through her predicament.
"You know what, Chloe? I think you should go," Beca said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Shit. Chloe knew she had really screwed it up this time. Why couldn't she just control her feelings for Beca? Or be honest and accept that her feelings are real? Why did there have to be so much at stake? She had so much to lose, but in the intimate moments with Beca, she never hesitated.
Before Chloe could reply, Beca spoke again. "I mean it, Chloe. I'm done putting myself out there for you to play with until you decide I'm not worth the risk. I'm just…done."
Chloe stared at the determined look on Beca's face, and had the feeling that the words hurt just as much coming out of the brunette's mouth as they did entering her own ears. It felt like her heart was shattering into thousands of tiny pieces, and she knew she was going to cry any second. Some part of her deep down told her to stay and fight, but she couldn't. Chloe bolted from the kitchen, grabbing her hat and sunglasses from near the front door before escaping into the night, tears streaming down her face.
A/N: As always, a huge thanks to my beta, Ravenclawsome33! Check out her stories, they're awesome!
-Thanks to everyone who's still reading, following along, and reviewing!
-SO, I'm getting married Pitches! In 6 weeks. Hopefully, you're all so incredibly happy for me that you don't mind this story will be updated much less frequently through the end of the year. Just too much going on in real life.